Chapter 43: What he sees in you

The minute he dropped her, Eve covered her mouth, rolling towards her side in a hurry as she slid off the soft surface and ran towards the nearest opening. Grabbing the windowsill with both her hands she leaned out, heaving heavily as the night's dinner came pushing out of her mouth and towards whichever unfortunate person who passed by the window.

By the time her stomach was empty, her head throbbed, pulsing against the sides of her head violently. She leaned back against the wall, feeling dizzy from the activity. The past few minutes were horrible. She did not even have the time to prepare herself when he had slung her over his back, taking off towards the palace at lightning speed.

When her vision finally cleared, she saw Theodore standing in front of her with a glass of water extended towards her, his nose crinkled in disgust. She looked around the place with a frown. The lavishly decorated room was huge. Although not as big as the regent's library, it was at least half its size with a huge bed covered in canopy standing right in the middle of the room, standing tall on the wooden flooring.

The walls were painted a soft cream shade, with a stuccoed white ceiling that rose upwards like a pyramid to meet the lone chandelier that hung from the high point, enveloping the room in a warm glow. A plush white diwan lay against a wall beside a creamy stone table that hosted a delicate vase of white lilies.

When her eyes reached back to him, he looked impatient. Eve reached out to take the glass from him, ignoring the look on his face. Spitting a sip out the window, she gulped the rest down slowly and steadily, like her mother had instructed her when she was young.

At the thought of Meredith, her eyes moistened. This was the second time that she had run behind her mother like a hopelessly lost child. Yet, she had not once gotten her attention. And what she had witnessed today was nothing less than horrifying. Her mother with that woman who had destroyed her childhood.

"I wonder what he sees in you," Theodore said, staring her up and down.

Eve frowned. She didn't know what he saw but it seemed like he had misunderstood what had happened between her and the young lord Tarleton. Not that she cared, but she didn't like the tone of his voice. Besides, how was it any of his business?

"I don't know what you're talking about, my king." She said, glaring at the floor in irritation, tracing the black threaded pattern on the white carpet as she tried to maintain her calm.

If she were allowed to glare at him, she was sure that there would two holes in his head from all the heat.

"My uncle of course. It's the first time I'm seeing him so protective over a slave." The king said, turning his back to him as he walked towards the huge bed.

Eve raised her brows. So he was talking about the regent all this time and not Hugh Tarleton? But the nonsense that he was spewing seemed ridiculous to her. What was he trying to convey? She wondered, watching him pause and turn towards her.

"You understand that I can't let anyone humiliate me, right?" He asked, cocking his head to the side. "After all, I'm the king."

Eve sighed. "I don't know what you're cooking up in your head. But you're wrong about him." She said, stepping towards him with a frown. "I'm only-"

"Blah blah. Spare me the pity talk." He said, interrupting her explanation. He huffed, continuing his accusation. "I know what I see. And if I'm not wrong, you seem to have developed feelings for the regent."

"No." The words immediately came out of her mouth.

Maybe a little too defensively. She didn't know what he wanted from her but it didn't seem like he was up to any good. There was no way that she was going to bare herself to him. Not to this monster. She thought, her fingers closing into fists.

But the words stuck in her head, echoing again and again. Feelings for the regent...Could she even be honest with herself on that? What good would it come of, even if she did? She thought, her heart tightening as she remembered how far they were from each other.

The man was far too perfect. Surely, he treated all his walkers the same. She said to herself, trying to push away the strain of thought that Theodore had managed to plant in her head with just a few words.

"If you ask me, it's a gamble." The king continued, ignoring her reply. "You know, although I'm the king, he has all the power. My people are ferociously loyal to him." He said, A frown pulled down the corners of his mouth as he said a frown pulled down the corners of his mouth. He paused, his eyes falling to his feet as he murmured, "Of course, it's only because of my mother."

Eve kept quiet, knowing that he was talking more to himself at that moment than to her. Suddenly, he flashed to her side, making her curse in shock. She stepped back, eager to get away from the man. Yet with every step she took backward, he took one towards her.

Theodore started again with a shrug. "I get it. He's incredibly good-looking. All his girls think the same. You are no different." He paused, a smirk slowly rising on his lips as he said, "But if it's just good looks that you're going for, then I'm no less."

Eve looked at the man incredulously. Had he hit his head somewhere? Or was he drunk from the feast? What even was he doing here in the room with her while he should technically be out there, doing whatever he does with those walkers who were cursed enough to be chosen by him? She thought, the image of him driving into the crazed walker the previous night flashing in her mind.

The very next moment, he raised his arms, shaking off the plush black coat off of his shoulder, letting it fall to the ground as he took a step towards her. Eve took a step back once again, only to find him pause as he stepped out of his shirt.

Her eyes went straight to his chest, its hardened muscles and its smooth skin, flawlessly perfect. As they slid down, a gasp escaped her chest. He had stepped out of his pants, standing before her in all his naked glory a bulge suspended from between his thighs- one that she knew could harden and push within seconds.

"What do you think you're doing?" She asked, looking away in embarrassment, realizing that she was gawking at him only a second ago.

She stepped back again, her heart thudding against her chest nervously. Her back hit the wooden frame of the canopy, warning her of the lack of any more space to move. She cursed in her mind, praying that it would all just disappear.

"Look at me." He said, stepping towards her. Eve kept her eyes down, her teeth clenched in anger. "I said look at me!" Theodore's voice rose, shaking with sheer power.

Eve shivered, instinctively obeying the command, her fear getting the better of her. Her gaze locked onto a pair of sparkling golden eyes, glowing brightly as he looked at her intently.

"Shall I do you a favor and do to you what I did to that walker yesterday?" He asked, reaching a hand out towards her.

"W-what?!" Eve exclaimed, slapping his hand away in horror. "Stay away!"

It was not his question that scared her. It was not him that she was scared of at that moment. It was her own excitement at the sight of his body, so close to her. It was the knowledge that she had succumbed to her desire of her enemy the night before. It was the way that the place between her legs was starting to throb slowly wetting her insides.

Theodore smirked, flashing a pair of fangs at her. "I can smell your desire, if you didn't know." He whispered, leaning close towards her.

"I said stay away!" Eve screamed, sliding to her right in haste.

The king huffed, turning towards the door as he called, "Come in!"

As she watched, a woman walked into the room, her brown hair loosely falling in waves, reaching up to the curve of her behind. Her pale skin and her small nose fit her features like a delicately beautiful doll. She had barely taken five steps when the doors closed behind her, leaving her alone with the two of them.

The woman's light brown eyes were fixed on the king, her chest rising and falling as she walked forward. Eve's eyes widened in shock. The woman looked much similar to her if not for her eyes, more than she liked to admit. Was this a coincidence or was this arranged? She wondered, her heart banging against her chest loudly.

The woman's hands slowly rose, moving back as she undid the knot on her plain gray dress. Eve knew that she was a servant from her clothes. As her hands lowered again, her clothes fell to the ground, baring her naked body to their eyes.

The girl stopped, placing a hand on the king's chest as she looked up at him in awe. Theodore smiled, his hands snaking up her body towards her chest slowly.

"Then you will watch until you give in." He said, turning her towards Eve.